Battle of Dakar
The Battle of Dakar was an engagement between the Gaullist 'Provisional' French fleet and a merchant fleet escorted by the 'Vichy' French navy. It is unknown who fired the first shots, however the battle resulted in heavy losses for both sides and was carried out during 'peace' time between the two French governments. The battle resulted in extremely strained relations between both of the French governments, and war was only prevented when the British intervened and requested for de Gaulle to stand down and seek an end through diplomacy. Despite this, no apology was issued by either side and Petain's government severed its already loose ties with the Gaullists. As a result of the loss of a German merchant ship, Germany issued an embargo against the Provisional French state. This was supported by all of the Berlin Pact members except for Spain. Background Following the defeat of the French Republic during the Polish-German War of 1939-1940, the Second Armistice at Compiègne was signed that established a German occupied zone in the North and an independent state in the South led by war hero Phillipe Pétain. The peace was recognized by all but Charles de Gaulle, who led a movement against Petain's government and called for the fight against the Germans to continue. However, the British war cabinet under Prime Minister Halifax had simultaneously been discussing peace terms offered to them by Germany. On the 8th of July, peace was signed in Versailles in a near mirror to the treaty ending the Great War. Days earlier, the Vichy French fleet in Mers-el-Kébir was attacked by a British fleet and on the French ships moored in harbor in Britain were seized. This created a stir in the British war cabinet, who thought it may cause problems in the peace talks, however Germany never issued any objections as the Vichy government had officially been considered neutral and independent from German affairs. The Free French government under de Gaulle proclaimed that they had been betrayed, and he continued to advocate for a Free French state. Governor of Chad Félix Éboué pledged his allegiance to de Gaulle's movement. Some of the colonial garrison troops switched sides and joined de Gaulle, and Gabon was swiftly secured by Gaullist forces. This was seen as an act of war by Pétain's government, which had become the legitimate government recognized by the peace treaty. Despite this, most of the ethnic French troops stationed in the Vichy controlled colonies had been sent home or to Algeria, along with most of the French fleet. The remaining fleets in the southern colonies were left under control of Admiral Émile Muselier, who sympathized with de Gaulle's movement. Through persuasion and the help of Éboué, he managed to gain control of most of the fleet and colonial troops in the southern colonies, including the fleet stationed at Dakar. In secrecy, small amounts of supplies were provided to de Gaulle by the British and a few of the French ships captured by the British were also transferred to de Gaulle.